Teen Titans in: Titans Adventures, Book I: The Dragon Prince
by Crusader Dragon Alpha
Summary: The Titans find themselves saddled with Blackfire and her mysterious boyfriend - a warrior hiding a dark, troubled past and a deadly secret. When a job to eliminate a terrorist cell turns up a diabolical plot, the Titans find themselves thrust into an alien blood feud more than 50 years old. Can they help the Dragon Prince save Earth? Or will Earth fall victim to an alien horde?
1. Prologue

(DISCLAIMER: I don't own Teen Titans, Star Trek, or any of the fictional franchises that may/may not be involved in this story. Also, this story is rated the way it is for a reason. You have been warned.)

Teen Titans in:

**Titans Adventures, Book I:**

**The Dragon Prince**

Prologue

Today was a big day. _The_ big day. The biggest day in Starfire's young life. It's been ten years since the chain of events in Tokyo. Events moved quickly. Starfire's older sister, Blackfire, returned to Starfire, and returned truly changed. She claimed she had met someone, a warrior that put her life in perspective. Someone that outmatched even her. She claimed she was starting a relationship with him when she decided to return to Starfire, but she had lied to the Titans before. Still, she gave them every reason to believe she had changed.

Also making a return was Terra, Beast-Boy's lover. This was a surprise to Beast-Boy, given that Terra claimed to have been revived by Blackfire. Terra raised a considerable portion of land from the sea surrounding the Titan's estate, purpose unknown. Terra, however, never met Blackfire's flame – at least, not in person. In her travels with Blackfire before returning to the Titans, she picked up a number of rumors regarding an almost-mythical being known as "the Dragon Prince." Blackfire confirmed that this Prince was her lover, and pointed out that he was what's called a dragon-shifter. She revealed that the Prince would – at some point in the future, though not even Blackfire knew when – the prince would come to this earth in his ship, the _Vigilance_.

And four months prior to this day, Robin did the once-unthinkable: He proposed to Starfire. Starfire was overcome with joy, and happily accepted. Even Blackfire seemed to support this happy occurrence. But, as with all weddings, both Starfire and Robin were nervous. They were in separate prep rooms, but it might as well have been one room altogether. They could feel each other's tension. But Starfire was especially tense; the 21-year-old Tamoranean literally shook with nervousness. Her big wedding. Everyone was here – her family foremost among the guests, Beast-Boy, Terra, Cyborg, Raven, and Blackfire, whom Starfire had selected to be her bridesmaid. Even Batman, who had been watching his former-sidekick's progress with great enthusiasm, was here as Robin's best man.

As Blackfire finished up with Starfire's wedding dress, Starfire spoke, "Blackfire, may I ask you something?"

"Certainly," Blackfire answered without looking away from her work.

"This... 'flame' of yours, this lover... what is his name?" Starfire asked.

Blackfire chuckled, then responded, "You picked a hell of a time to ask, sister; his name is Viktor Drakona."

"Viktor Drakona," Starfire repeated quietly. Such a strange name. "What language is his name in?"

"It's Russian," Blackfire answered, giving a final tug on one of the strings. "A dialect spoken here on earth. But let's worry about Viktor _after_ the wedding, okay?"

Starfire sighed. "Yes, you're right – we must focus. This is my wedding day, after all," she said.

One of the Tamoranean participants in this wedding poked her head in the door. "It's time," she stated.

Starfire took a deep breath, summoned her courage, and walked out to the wedding with her sister. She walked down the isle, joining Robin at the altar. The priest began his wedding speech – which seemed to drag on for hours – and finally, Robin and Starfire exchanged vows. She heard her mother sniffling back tears. When the priest finally said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife; you may kiss the bride," Robin lifted Starfire's veil, and they embraced for a passionate kiss.

It was official. Robin and Starfire were now husband and wife – which made Blackfire Robin's sister-in-law. Odd, but not for anyone to judge. During the reception, Blackfire approached Robin and Starfire.

"Congratulations, you two," she said.

"Thank you for being here, Blackfire," Starfire stated. "It means so much to have you here."

"Not to mention you didn't try anything," Robin added. "I guess I owe you an apology."

"No heartfelt apologies necessary, Robin; your suspicion was understandable, given my history," Blackfire chuckled.

It was then that the rest of the Titans made their appearance in the conversation. "Hey, Blackfire," Cyborg asked, "Wasn't your boyfriend supposed to be here?"

"Supposed to be," Blackfire admitted, "But I have no idea what's keeping-" A communicator in Blackfire's pocket beeped. Blackfire sighed and said, "That must be him." She took out the communicator and continued, "Lemme guess: You can't make it in today."

"Sorry, Blackie – got caught up in a fight with this... Cardassian pirate. Dunno his name, but he was a verbal one," an American-accented voice responded.

"So what's the new ETA?" Blackfire asked.

"I should be there tomorrow morning, oh-nine-thirty hours," the man answered. "That much I _can_ promise – I'm on my way right now."

"Well, good – I'm getting anxious to see you again, _moya lyubov',_" Blackfire stated. "So don't take too long."

The man laughed. "I'll be there soon, I promise – and tell the two friends of yours that got married today that I have a little something to give them, in celebration for their wedding."

"Will do," Blackfire responded. "Blackie out."

"Blackie?" Cyborg chuckled. "He calls you Blackie?"

"Yes, it's a nickname," Blackfire responded.

Robin smiled, chuckled, then said, "And here, I thought you wouldn't _get_ a nickname... no offense."

Blackfire smiled. "None taken," she responded.

"Blackfire," Beast-Boy spoke, "You said your boyfriend is a dragon-shifter, yes?"

"Yes, I did, why?" Blackfire asked.

"Have you ever seen his dragon form?" Beast-Boy queried.

"Oh! Yes, actually, I have – his dragon form is a beautiful, red-scaled dragon, with eyes like sapphires and ivory-white horns... which reminds me, I hope you all don't mind, but I installed sonic dampeners in each of your rooms, including my own."

"That's... fine, but why did you do that?" Robin asked, taken aback by the idea.

"Because as a dragon-shifter, Viktor has a snore that sounds like a dragon in his lair," Blackfire responded. "I didn't want it to keep you all up at night."

Cyborg scoffed, then commented, "Wow. That's... pretty thoughtful of you... thanks."

"Not a problem," Blackfire replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to prep my room for his arrival. You don't mind, do you?"

Starfire smiled. "He's your boyfriend; you prep anything you think you need to, sister," she said. Blackfire nodded, turned, and left. Once she was out of earshot, Robin asked Starfire,

"What did she say his name was?"

"Viktor Drakona," Starfire responded. "A Russian name, according to Blackfire."

"He's Russian?" Terra asked. "Funny, he didn't _sound_ Russian."

"Well, we can worry about this later," Robin said. "I'm hungry. Anyone feel like having a piece of cake?"

That said, the Titans went on with the wedding, letting Blackfire deal with her boyfriend's impending arrival...

(More to follow, I'll stay in touch.)


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

The wedding passed, and the titans returned to Titan Tower. It wasn't until 9:30 in the morning that something happened. Sensors in Titan Tower picked up an unusual neutron radiation surge nearby. Oddly enough, wind speed kicked up as this surge passed over the tower. Cyborg, unsure of what to make of it, called for Robin.

"Uh, Robin... you may want to take a look at this," he said. Robin walked over to Cyborg's console with Blackfire.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"I'm picking up an unusual neutron radiation surge," Cyborg explained.

"Where?" Robin queried.

"Oddly enough, over that piece of land Terra raised," Cyborg answered. Blackfire walked over to a window overlooking the aforementioned piece of land, then stated,

"That's gotta be him. A neutron radiation surge that large could only be produced by a ship – and the only ship that we were expecting today was Viktor's ship."

As Blackfire finished her sentence, an electronic zinging sound could be heard. The titans all gathered at the window Blackfire stood at, where they witnessed an awe-inspiring sight; air shimmered and waved as a ship seemingly appeared from thin air.

"A cloaking device!" Starfire gasped. "His ship has a cloaking device!"

"Yes, derived from the same cloaking device used on the Reman Warbird _Scimitar_," Blackfire explained. "It allows him to deploy warp drive, use shields and transporters, and even fire weapons. His ship alone was responsible for saving multiple worlds from enemy incursions, ranging from Borg Incursions to pirate attacks."

"Strange," Terra murmured. "His ship looks like a Klingon Bird-of-Prey... but not any Bird-of-Prey design I've ever seen."

"It's a N'kal," Blackfire said. "Larger than your standard Bird-of-Prey, but slightly smaller than the big brother of the Bird-of-Prey, the K'vort."

"Now I see why you had Terra raise that bit of land," Robin stated. "It was so he could land his ship."

Just as Robin mentioned landing, the N'kal's wings lifted up, forming a wide V, and the fuselage deployed landing struts as it touched down on the land Terra raised. From then, the only sound the N'kal made was the sound of it's systems powering down.

"Shall we go meet him?" Starfire suggested.

"Yeah, I want to know who we're dealing with," Robin agreed.

No further words needed to be said. The entire gang left, headed downstairs, and out toward the N'kal. It was as they approached the N'kal that they saw the inhabitant: A warrior with pale-white skin and sapphire-blue dragon eyes wearing a pair of armored gauntlets, two blade hilts at his sides and a rifle very similar to the archaic AK47 in one hand, which he held over his shoulder, a case containing several bottles with a clear-blue drink in the other.

"Does this guy always travel so heavily-armed?" Cyborg asked.

"It's his way, don't worry about it," Blackfire stated. "He rarely uses his rifle."

"Then why have it?" Robin queried.

"Same principle as a wallet; because he'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it," Blackfire explained. By the time she'd finished, they had closed the distance between them and Viktor. Viktor just stood there, staring down the team until Blackfire spoke.

"Took you long enough," she said with a smile. "I trust trouble didn't follow you?"

Viktor just smiled and chuckled, then snapped off something in Russian. Blackfire just laughed. "We can't all be that lucky. I assume you know who everyone is?"

When Viktor spoke again, it was in plain English. "More or less," he answered. He looked to Robin and added, "By the way, Robin – congratulations on you and Starfire's wedding."

"Yeah, about that – you said you had something for us?" Robin asked. Viktor simply indicated the case of drink he held.

"A modified version of Romulan Ale," he said proudly. "Made it myself on the way over here."

"That was nice of you," Raven commented. "It won't knock me into next week, will it?"

"It shouldn't," Viktor affirmed, "Why?"

"The last time I had Romulan Ale, I woke up the next morning with a bad hangover," Raven explained.

"Did that to me, too," Viktor chuckled. "That's why I made my own spin-off."

"What's with the rifle?" Cyborg asked.

Viktor just cracked a wry smile as he slowly set the Romulan Ale down. He then held his rifle in both arms and explained, "This is my RX Kalashnikov AK50M7... assault rifle from my personal army; I keep it or one of my guns on me just in case."

"In case of what?" Starfire in queried. "Do you expect trouble to follow you?"

"Not exactly," Viktor answered, "Trouble doesn't know where to find me, most of the time. I keep armed just on the slim chance it _does_ find me."

"Why don't we move this conversation inside?" Robin suggested. Viktor curled his lips and shrugged.

"Sounds good to me," he said. He hoisted his rifle over his shoulder, and bent over to pick up the case of Ale. As they began to walk toward Titan Tower, Terra chose that moment to speak up.

"So," she began, "Where are you from?"

"Earth," Viktor and Blackfire responded simultaneously.

"Oh?" Terra asked. "So you grew up around these parts?"

"Not this Earth, another one – different 'verse," Viktor answered. Beast-Boy frowned, apparently confused.

"Different verse?" he repeated. "What's that mean?"

Terra elbowed him and told him, "Different universe – he's from a parallel universe."

"Oh," Beast-Boy murmured.

"So why'd you leave your home world?" Cyborg queried. "Wanted to see the galaxy?"

"Don't ask," Blackfire told him, "It's not a pretty story."

"No, it's not," Viktor affirmed. "But suffice it to say, I didn't have a choice; if I stayed there, I'd have died."

"Oh... sorry I asked," Cyborg apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Viktor said. "You weren't the first person to be curious about my past, and you certainly won't be the last."

"What about your ship?" Beast-Boy asked. "Where'd you get it?"

Viktor again chuckled, then responded, "It was commissioned for me by the Dragon'taan Marauder Corps, with help from the Klingon Empire, Romulan Star Empire, the Remans, and the United Federation of Planets."

"You must have friends in high places, then," Cyborg commented.

"Not really," Viktor admitted. "They commissioned it for me primarily because they felt I needed a ship to wander the galaxy – they made it a military-grade ship so I wouldn't get caught flat-footed."

"How long have you been wandering the galaxy?" Starfire queried.

"I honestly can't remember how long it has been," Viktor answered. They entered Titan Tower as he added, "But, in my travels, I've seen some wild stuff." They entered the lounge, and Viktor set the ale down on the counter, and his rifle next to it. As soon as he did, Cyborg asked while indicating the rifle,

"Mind if I take a look?"

Viktor made a hand gesture as he replied, "Go ahead; I didn't know you had an interest in weaponry."

Cyborg picked up the archaic-looking rifle and aimed it at the ceiling as he stated, "I have some weapons of my own integrated in my cybernetic parts."

Viktor just stated, "Just don't point any of them at me, Stroggos."

Cyborg laughed, setting the rifle down as he exclaimed, "I didn't know you played that series!"

"Pah!" Viktor scoffed, "God only knows how long I've had those games!"

"You two want to tell me what game we're talking about here?" Beast-Boy asked.

"Quake," Cyborg and Viktor said simultaneously.

"You'll have to play me in Quake sometime," Cyborg suggested.

"Sure, if you don't mind me kicking your butt across all maps," Viktor laughed.

"Let's save the gaming for another time," Robin said with a smile. Viktor smiled and chuckled as he went to get the bottles of modified Romulan Ale.

"I can already tell we'll get along fine," he said, removing bottles for everyone. "Don't worry about getting more; this box will materialize what we want."

"Mister Drakona, tell me something," Robin requested as he accepted one bottle, "Blackfire speaks very highly of you, but she's yet to tell us how you and she met."

Viktor sighed as he opened a bottle and sat down. "It's a long story," he told Robin.

"We have an hour or two before we head to that Karaoke Bar in Jump City," Raven said, "So humor us."

Viktor laughed softly, took a sip from his bottle, then began, "Blackfire inadvertently wandered onto my ship, thinking it was a passenger liner."

"See, this guy charges me fifty credits and tells me that for twenty credits, I can book passage to my destination – at that time – on a passenger liner," Blackfire continued. "Of course, the idiot failed to tell me that the ship had already left."

"So, anyway," Viktor said, "She wandered on board, and paid me twenty credits to take her to... where were you going?"

"At that time," Blackfire responded, "I think I was headed to Kestian."

"Right, Kestian," Viktor continued. "So, I was wondering why the hell this Tamoranean woman was headed into Cardassian space, but I figured... why not?"

"Of course, what neither of us knew was that Kestian was being targeted by the now-renegade Klingon House of Duras," Blackfire added.

"Hold on," Starfire interrupted, "What were you doing in that 'verse in the first place?"

"I was just passing through," Blackfire explained. "From there, I intended to take a transport to Universe 02-Bravo."

"So what happened when you hit Kestian?" Robin asked.

"Like Blackie said, the House of Duras attacked," Viktor explained. "I helped the Cardassians beat them back, and when we hit planetside, this Cardassian pirate kidnaps Blackfire, and I had to go in and get her – I couldn't just leave her in that punk's grip."

"After we escaped from the pirate's ship," Blackfire concluded, "We just stuck together."

"Wow," Terra remarked, "Hell of a way to meet someone."

"What other kinds of weapons you have in your armory, if I may ask?" Cyborg asked.

Viktor waved his hand as he said, "All sorts; disruptors, hand phasers, blaster carbines... trophies, really – taken from kills on battlefields far from here. A number of them, however – like my AK over there – are of my own design."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "You design weaponry?" he asked.

"And make them, and modify them to fit various purposes, and use them," Viktor affirmed, "In that order. Actually, I made a good deal of money selling a few designs to the DMC."

"Blackfire never said you were a gunsmith," Starfire remarked.

"Oh, not just guns," Viktor said, "I've been known to craft armor, too."

"Armor?" Robin repeated, his curiosity piqued. "What kind of armor?"

"Powered combat armor," Viktor responded, "Complete with functional energy shielding, Infiltrator-grade Personal Cloaking Devices, and many other features."

"You've crafted all that on your own?" Raven inquired incredulously.

"A result of having too much free time on my hands," Viktor chuckled.

"Do you still have the armor?" Robin queried.

"Damn right," Viktor answered. "I still have the prototypes. Why? Something I need to know about?"

Robin looked to Starfire, who just nodded. "About six months before Starfire and I got married, we had to deal with a terrorist cell that had been harassing the 'states," Robin explained.

"I didn't know you all did military operations," Viktor commented.

"It's a recent development, given that crime in these parts is at an all-time low," Cyborg said. "Gotta do something."

"Right," Viktor commented, "And I'm assuming this wasn't the first time you've had to deal with these guys?"

"No," Raven affirmed, taking a sip of her ale. "Every time we think we've finished these rebels off, they pull a Houdini and drop off the grid, then pop back on the grid sometime later doing something else."

"It's getting rather irritating, to be honest," Robin added.

"And you're thinking you'll need some extra firepower in case they pop on the grid again," Viktor surmised.

"We're hoping it won't come to that, but yes," Robin affirmed.

Raven looked at her watch, then said, "We can discuss it later – we have to get going."

"Right," Robin sighed. He downed the last of his Romulan ale and looked to Viktor. "You and Blackfire wanna tag along?"

Viktor looked to Blackfire, who shrugged. "Up to you, baby," she told him. Viktor himself shrugged and asked rhetorically,

"Why not?"


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The Titans exited Titan tower, where they all watched as Viktor walked ahead of them, his rifle slung across his back. Robin frowned slightly, then called out to him,

"You know we have a boat that can take us to the city, right?"

"I know," Viktor called back, "I saw it when I landed. Honestly, though, I prefer to fly."

"Oh, watch this," Blackfire said. "He has a cool way of transforming."

The titans watched as Viktor stopped just ahead, then began to glow. In an instant, flames sparked across his entire body, spreading to everything he had on him. Robin was about to intercede when Blackfire stopped him. "Don't," she told him, "This is his way of shifting to his dragon form."

Robin watched in shock as the flames consumed everything; then, his body disappeared, but the flames remained, but began to spread outwards, shaping the form of Viktor's dragon body. When the flames and ashes disappeared, a large, crimson-scaled dragon stood where Viktor had been. The dragon turned to face the Titans, where it became obvious that Viktor still retained his sapphire-blue eyes after the transformation. Blackfire approached the now-massive Viktor, who lowered his head to her level in response.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" Blackfire asked. Everyone remained silent. Everyone except Starfire.

"In all my life," she said, "I have never seen such a majestic creature; I have heard of Dragons in ancient human mythology, but never did I think I would ever see one with my own eyes."

"Think it's possible I could turn myself into a dragon?" Beast-boy queried.

"No, _tovarishch_," Viktor answered, "Such a power is a power that, to my knowledge, is only held by my people; dragon-shifting isn't a power you can acquire... you have to be born with it."

"A unique gift, to be sure," Starfire said. "How... how did your people come to be?"

"Dragon-shifter history is a long, complicated topic, best discussed at our destination," Viktor said, "But suffice it to say, we dragon-shifters trace our existence back to the founding of the Dragonarian Empire."

"Feel like having company in the sky?" Blackfire asked Viktor. Viktor chuckled, with a loving smile on his face as he looked to Blackfire.

"Don't I always? I'm not the cynical loner I was when you met me, anymore," Viktor replied. They both shared a soft laugh, after which, Blackfire leapt onto Viktor's back, and Viktor took to the sky, narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the neck of his vessel.

"It still seems... odd, Blackfire being so much in love with someone like him," Robin commented. "She really _has_ changed."

"We're going to be late," Raven pointed out. "They won't hold our reservations all day."

That said, the rest of the Titans boarded the boat and headed off into Jump City...

The titans arrived in the city in short order, with Viktor flying the skies and Blackfire riding on his back. When the Titans arrived at the bar, Viktor dropped out of the skies, where Blackfire got off his back before Viktor shifted back to his normal form.

"Hey, Viktor – what would happen if you shifted to your normal form while Blackfire was still on your back?" Beast-Boy asked.

"I don't know," Viktor admitted, "And I _don't _want to find out."

"More than likely, it wouldn't be pretty," Robin commented.

"That's what I would assume," Viktor said. They entered the bar, where Robin approached the hostess. While he talked with her, Starfire noticed a change in Viktor's facial expression. His eyes were closed, and his face was in a slightly-worried frown. Blackfire noticed this, too, and she asked,

"Viktor, are you alright?" Viktor said something in Russian to her, and she frowned. "What? What is it?" Viktor again responded in Russian, and Starfire was now curious.

"What is he saying?" she asked.

"He's sensing something's wrong, but he can't discern what," Blackfire whispered to her sister. "Only time that ever happens is-"

"Okay," the hostess said, "If you all will follow me, I'll show you to your table." As the titans followed the hostess to the table, Viktor whispered something in Russian to Blackfire, who nodded in agreement.

"What'd he say?" Starfire asked.

"I can't say; the most I will say is keep your ears open," Blackfire answered. The titans sat down at their table, set on a balcony overlooking the sea. In the distance, Titan Tower could be seen, with Viktor's ship sitting near it.

A waitress came and asked, "What would you all like to drink?" Everyone ordered different drinks, and when the question came to Viktor, Viktor responded,

"I'll have a glass of Corellian Ale, if you have any; if not, I'll just have a Coke." The waitress wrote down the orders and left, where Robin noticed Viktor's demeanor.

"Are you alright, Viktor?" he asked.

Viktor hesitated, then responded, "I'll be fine – but keep your ears open; something feels... out of place."

"What do you mean by 'out of place'?" Cyborg inquired.

"He's right," Raven said. "I sense it, too."

"But what's out-of-place?" Robin asked.

"I'm not sure," Viktor responded. "Call me crazy, but somehow... it feels familiar."

"Well, if you sense anything you think we need to know," Robin requested, "Tell us. Last thing we need is to get caught flat-footed by whatever it is you sense."

"Will do," Viktor said. He looked to Blackfire, then said something in Russian to her. She responded in the same language, and Robin looked to Cyborg.

"Can you translate what they're saying?" he asked him.

"Sorry, Rob," Cyborg responded, "I didn't include Russian in my translation centers, and the only place for me to get software for Russian-to-English translation is back at the tower."

If only to enjoy their time for relaxation while they still had it, they continued as though the conversation never happened. They all ordered something to eat, and it was brought to them in record time. It wasn't until halfway through the meal that Viktor's expression changed again. He frowned, then looked up toward Titan Tower. His frown deepened, and he exclaimed, "Everyone, quiet! Listen!"

The Titans suddenly quieted, and Robin could hear it: The rapid thumping of rotor blades against the air. The more the Titans listened, the more louder the sound got.

"Uh, guys... what are those?" Beast Boy asked, pointing to two helicopters in the sky, headed to Titan Tower.

"What the...?" Robin murmured.

"Hinds!" Viktor exclaimed, "I knew it!" He hit a button in his gauntlet, and yelled in Russian into a comm device. Starfire looked to her sister and asked,

"What did he say?"

"I don't know," Blackfire admitted, "He spoke too fast for me to get the whole message – all I got was something about readying the JX70s."

"What's a JX70?" Cyborg asked.

"Dragonarian advanced assault fighter," Blackfire answered, "The ones Viktor's got are run on remote by his chief AI, Clara."

"Why's he launching-" Cyborg started.

"Look! Over there!" Beast Boy exclaimed, pointing to two more helicopters headed directly toward them. Viktor looked and spotted them, then told the Titans,

"Get out of here! I'll cover you!" He then leapt onto the roof of the restaurant they were at, where he bellowed an earth-rumbling metallic roar. It became apparent that he shifted to dragon form, because shortly thereafter, he flew over the titans, heading for the helicopters. One of them fired a nose cannon, and it became immediately clear that these Hinds were hostile. Viktor avoided the shots, then grabbed onto the Hind. The pilot lost control, and Viktor threw it to sea. The other Hind continued toward the titans.

"Robin, what do we do?" Beast Boy demanded. "We're not equipped to fight attack choppers!"

Robin just watched as the Hinds were either blown out of the sky by the JX70s, or torn apart by Viktor. When the titans met back up with Viktor, he was panting heavily, holding a piece of charred metal with a logo of a targeting reticule around a red, baleful eye. He set it at their feet and asked between breaths, "Recognize... that logo?"

"Robin, that's-" Starfire started.

"The Terrorists we dealt with six months ago," Robin affirmed before his wife could finish. "They're back." He looked to Viktor. "Will you help us in this matter?"

"There is... little choice... for me," Viktor panted. "I... sensed a... a threat... that was familiar... to me. These attackers... are a... a symptom... of the real threat."

"You think the real threat is someone else?" Raven queried.

"The real threat... has yet to show itself," Viktor answered, finally catching his breath. "Something tells me you're going to need all the help you can get."

"Then it begins," Robin said solemnly...


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The titans headed back to Titan Tower following the incident with the attack choppers in the city. As soon as they got there, they found that they had a call waiting on the subspace transmitter – a communication device installed a week prior to Robin and Starfire's wedding. Robin answered the call, and immediately, the face of the American President could be seen.

"Mister President," Robin greeted him.

"Robin," the President answered. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news."

"We already know – those terrorists we iced six months ago are back," Robin said. "We were lucky we had a dragon-shifter with us."

"Indeed," the President stated. "We recently learned that not only are they back, but they raided a major supply depot in Northern Russia and made off with a lot of equipment."

"Does that equipment, by chance, include four attack helicopters?" Robin inquired.

"Four?" The President responded, "They made off with ten; four MI24 Hind Attack Choppers and six MI28 Havoc Gunships. Russia is still investigating how the terrorists got so deep into Russia undetected, but they've requested you deal with the terrorists... preferably once and for all."

"Well, hopefully," Robin said, "Our new dragon-shifter friend here can help us deal with that aspect of such an op."

"I'll make arrangements to get you and your team transported to Russia first thing-" The president started.

"That actually won't be necessary, mister President," Robin interrupted, "As our dragon-shifter friend here has a ship that can get us to Russia."

"What's his name?" The President queried. Robin looked over his shoulder at Viktor, who was inspecting his rifle.

"Hey, Viktor," he told him, "The President wants to talk to you."

Viktor set his rifle down and walked over to the comm station. "Yes, sir?" he greeted.

"You're the dragon-shifter?" The President asked.

"Yes, sir," Viktor answered, "Viktor Drakona, captain of the _Vigilance_."

"Robin says you have a ship that can get him and his team to Russia," the President said.

"That's affirmative, sir," Viktor affirmed. "And I can get them there stealthily, if need be."

"How?" The president inquired.

"My ship has a cloaking device," Viktor explained. "One that allows me to deploy all my ship's systems with it active."

"And how effective is this cloaking device?" the President asked.

"Lemme put it to you this way," Viktor responded, "That cloaking device is so effective, I could torpedo the capital of North Korea into oblivion, and no one would know anything about it until it was all over."

The president thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Very well. The mission is yours. Keep me posted."

The screen snapped to black, and Robin looked to Viktor.

"It's that good?" he asked.

"I've done it before – but not to the Capital of North Korea, though," Viktor answered. "Did it to a rogue Kemorainian base out past the Baargell Badlands."

"We're going to need some heavy-hitting equipment if we're going up against these terrorists – especially now that they've got air support," Cyborg commented.

"I've already got it," Viktor said. "Just head to my ship – and don't touch anything."

As the others headed for the ship, Viktor and Blackfire remained. _"__Your friends certainly are tenacious,"_ Viktor said in Russian.

_"__I told you they were,"_ Blackfire responded.

_"__You're certain they can handle a bloodthirsty terrorist threat?" _Viktor asked.

_"__They'll take it out or die trying,"_ Blackfire answered. They began to head for the _Vigilance _as Blackfire inquired in Russian, _"__Have you yet determined what felt familiar?"_

_"__It is... something I've not sensed since the day it happened," _Viktor responded.

_"__Are you referring to...?"_ Blackfire began.

_"__I am,"_ Viktor affirmed. _"__As I said before, these terrorists are but a symptom of the true threat. I pray he does not know."_

Viktor and Blackfire walked onto the _Vigilance_, and Viktor immediately directed a comment to his AI; "Clara, shut the boarding ramp."

"Command confirmed," a female computerized voice said. The boarding ramp raised and shut behind them, and Viktor and Blackfire headed for the bridge. Along the way, they ran into the rest of the Titans, wandering the halls of the ship.

"This is one impressive ship you've got here, Viktor," Robin commented.

"It's home," Viktor said, "For me, anyway. I made some special internal modifications."

"Like what?" Terra asked.

"While I've left the primary cargo bay for storage and cargo, I've converted the secondary cargo bay into my armory and the tertiary cargo bay has been turned into a pool," Viktor explained. "The captain's ready room has been converted into a lounge, with a table for meetings."

"Sounds like a lot of detail has gone into this ship," Cyborg stated.

"Yeah," Viktor sighed. "As I said, it's home for me." The gang stepped onto the bridge, where everyone took a seat. "I'd advise you not lean on the consoles while we're in flight," Viktor cautioned everyone. "They're touch-screen, and if you hit the wrong button, you might screw us over."

"Shall I initiate takeoff protocols?" Clara asked.

"Affirmative, Clara – ascension protocols," Viktor commanded as he took the captain's chair. The ship vibrated as it began to lift off the ground. It turned clockwise away from Titan Tower, rising higher into the air as it did so.

"I have coordinates from the president," Clara announced. "Looks like a supply depot in Northern Russia."

"Thank you, Clara," Viktor said. "Wings to cruise configuration."

"Cruise configuration, aye," the AI answered. The wings of the _Vigilance_ lowered until they were horizontally flat, with the wingtip-mounted disruptor cannons dipping diagonally downward.

"One-quarter impulse power to Russia," Viktor ordered. "And engage the cloaking device."

"Aye, sir," Clara said, "Engaging impulse engines... activating cloaking device..."

As the _Vigilance_ began to shoot into the sky, it shimmered and vanished like a ghost. That same electronic zinging sound, coupled with an echoing, ghostly roar, could be heard as it cloaked.

"We are now en route to Northern Russia," Clara proclaimed. "ETA thirty minutes, present speed."

"Now, I imagine you all would like a tour of the _Vigilance_," Viktor said. "Just follow me."

Everyone left the bridge, and they toured the halls of the _Vigilance_. It was explained to them that the _Vigilance _was run entirely by a holographic crew. Until now, Viktor and Blackfire had been the only organics on board. Viktor then went on to explain that his ship was equipped with state-of-the-art Kadgeron weaponry and Anti-Kadgeron defenses, making it highly resilient to all forms of attack and making it well-equipped to take on much larger targets. It was as Viktor was explaining to the Titans how the Trans-Dimensional Intergalactic Rift Generator worked to allow him to travel to different 'verses that Clara said over the intercom,

"Titans, we're coming up on the coordinates in Northern Russia – gear up."

"You guys bring your equipment?" Viktor asked.

"The only equipment we use are our abilities and powers," Raven pointed out. "You could say I'm a magic-user."

"And I'm assuming you know from my sister what Tamoranean powers are," Starfire added.

"I'm a shape-shifter, so I don't need equipment." Beast-Boy said.

"As much as I'd like to try out some of the gear in your armory, I came prepared," Cyborg stated.

"I, uh... think I forgot some of my equipment at the Tower," Robin commented.

"Well, I don't know if my powers will be any good in Russia, so I'll _need_ some new equipment," Terra said.

"Well, you can all at least grab some armor from my armory," Viktor said. "If what I sensed is accurate, you'll need it. Come on."

Viktor led everyone to the armory, where he inputted a code, and the doors parted. Inside were rows upon rows of weapons. Robin let loose a whistle.

"You keep a lot of firepower for a wandering explorer," he said.

"Like I said when we met – I keep armed and equipped in case trouble manages to finds me," Viktor answered.

"I'm starting to think I'll need some gear from this place," Cyborg chuckled. "You have everything!" He immediately went to one rack, and pulled a weapon off the rack – one that looked like a cross between a Gatling gun and a grenade launcher. "What's this thing?" he asked.

"Dragon'taan Arms Dual-Purpose Rotary Assault Cannon," Viktor explained. "Primary fires a rapid-fire stream of Kadgeron Energy Pulses; secondary fires a wide variety of grenades, ranging from High-Explosive to Plasma to EMP."

"Damn," Cyborg commented. "Where'd you get this?"

"Republic Convoy I saved near Tatooine – they gave me that as a reward," Viktor answered. "Not a bad weapon."

"Where's the armor you were talking about earlier?" Robin asked.

"One-two-two-one-one-two, back there," Viktor answered, pointing to a room beyond the rows of weapons. Robin and his team headed to the aforementioned room, while Blackfire and Viktor chatted in Russian.

"One-two-two-one-one-two," Cyborg commented, still holding the assault cannon. "Now, why does that sound familiar?"

"Maybe it's significant to Viktor in some way," Terra suggested.

"That's what I think, too," Robin whispered, unsure of whether or not they were out of earshot of Viktor. "Question is, in what way?" They approached the keypad, and Beast Boy made an observation.

"Wait a sec – six-digit code, keypad splits it into groups of two... enter the code, let's see what it looks like."

Robin complied, and as the doors opened, they looked at the numerical sequence in the keypad. 12-21-12. "It is a date!" Starfire whispered, as though coming to a shocking revelation. "They key combination is a date!"

"That particular date points to... December 21, 2012," Cyborg commented.

Robin looked back at Viktor, who was still chatting with Blackfire. "He's hiding something," he surmised. "Something happened that day – something that hangs over him still."

"Could that something be the reason he left his home world?" Raven queried.

"Viktor said that if he'd stayed on his home world, he'd have died," Starfire said. "This ship was commissioned for him by the DMC, they couldn't have-"

"I'd advise you get your armor on quickly," Viktor called out to them.

Robin and his comrades all looked to each other. How much of the discussion did he hear? They all went into the storage room where they made another discovery: Each set of armor was specifically tailored to each member of the team.

"This is strange," Robin whispered.

"What's strange?" Viktor asked, now standing in the doorway. "That each of those armors were specifically tailored to each of you?"

"How did you know how to tailor them?" Robin asked.

"The knowledge came to me in a vision I had long ago – the day after I left my home world," Viktor explained. "I crafted these armor sets for the heroes I saw in my vision. I later had that same vision again, a week after I met Blackfire, and she told me of you."

"So that's how you found us," Starfire said as she started putting her armor on. "A vision you beheld long ago."

"Viktor..." Robin asked, "What happened on the day of December 21, 2012?"

Viktor's facial expression changed instantly. It became cold, angry, and severe. But he maintained his calm composure as he made his response. "Assuming we get out of this mess and return to Titan Tower alive, ask me again later." Without another word, he left, and Blackfire sighed.

"Be careful where you dig, Robin," she said. "Few who travel through the depths of Viktor's past return unchanged."

"Sister," Starfire inquired, "Do you know what happened that day?"

"I can't say," Blackfire answered, "It might make things worse. But I will say this much: We must be careful. The threat Viktor senses is one he's faced before; it was because of this threat that he was forced to leave his home world. And – if it is the same threat we face – he will not let him go a second time without blood being shed."

From that moment on, not a word was said further. Robin was convinced; Viktor was hiding something, something in his past. Something he didn't want known.

And Robin feared what complications could spawn from such knowledge...


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

A transporter beam energized, and deposited the Titans on the snow-covered ground. Viktor was armed with the same rifle he'd had when he met them, while Cyborg – in addition to his armor – had the assault cannon ne nabbed at the armory, Robin – despite his reservations – armed himself with an assault rifle similar to Viktor's, Blackfire armed herself with one of Viktor's Hybrid Rifles, and Terra had a disruptor rifle. The rest of the Titans just had their armor.

"Well, here we are," Robin commented.

"Any ideas what we should be looking for?" Terra asked.

Robin began, "We should start by asking-" Robin stopped midsentence upon noticing Viktor's facial expression – the same expression he had when the Hinds attacked the city. "What is it?" he asked him.

"Something is wrong – I sense no one here," Viktor murmured.

"You 'sense no one here'?" Beast Boy asked in disbelief. "Sense any attack choppers coming after us like last time?"

"Everyone here has been slain – yet there are few signs of battle," Viktor explained. "No carbon scoring, no blast craters or spent bullet casings... this place has been hit by assassins of a different sort."

"Perhaps the base computers can tell us what happened?" Raven suggested.

"If you're going after the base computers," Clara said, "Veer to the east – there's a bunker nearby that should take you into the depot itself."

Viktor and the Titans looked and spotted the bunker – standing in stark contrast to the environment around it. It looked as though the door had intentionally been left open. Viktor immediately unfolded the stock on his weapon and took the safety off. Blackfire followed suit, and Viktor said, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"You and me both, Viktor," Robin agreed. He led the team into the dark depths of the base. The base itself was dark, with flickering lights and the occasional sparking panel and contained fire. Every so often, the team would come across gore-spattered corridors and halls pockmarked with bullet holes and energy burns.

"Cripes, does this look familiar," Viktor murmured.

"Talk to me, Clara – we going the right direction?" Robin asked.

"Take a left at the intersection ahead – that should put you in a hallway that goes directly to a security room with the computers, first door on the left," Clara answered. Robin followed Clara's directions, and entered the room she mentioned. In direct contrast with the halls outside, the security room looked completely untouched. Viktor approached the main computer, and began working with it.

"Can you hack a Russian computer?" Robin asked him.

"I could, given time," Viktor answered. "Only problem is..." he paused as he accessed the security recordings. "... Whoever was at this computer forgot to log out."

"More likely," Blackfire corrected him, "They were killed in the middle of whatever they were doing."

"If they were killed, where's the body?" Cyborg queried.

"I'm thinking the poor bastard was vaporized," Viktor told Cyborg as he worked. "Unfortunately, I couldn't tell you _who_ vaporized him until I get a..." He paused upon coming to one security recording.

"What is it?" Robin inquired.

"Take a look at this," Viktor answered, putting the recording on the main screen. It showed a band of Russian soldiers, fighting what looked to be a band of rebels. The rebels were armed with energy weapons of some kind, and took down one Russian solder after the other. Viktor froze the image as the terrorists entered the light. "Those look like the terrorists you iced six months ago?"

"Yeah," Robin affirmed, "That's them."

"But since when did they use energy weapons?" Starfire asked.

"That's just it," Viktor said. He enhanced one rebel in particular, and indicated his weapon. "That is a Kemorainian Viper Variable Plasma Rifle," he explained. "Popular weapon amongst the Kemorainians."

"Where did they get Kemorainian weapons, though?" Cyborg queried. "Aren't they allied with the Dragonarian Empire?"

"They _are_," Viktor responded. "Which makes this not make sense; Kemorainians of today wouldn't sell weapons to terrorist groups like this."

"And last time I checked," Robin added, "These guys didn't have the means for interstellar travel."

"So where – and who – did they get Kemorainian weapons from?" Viktor asked. The question hung in the air for a moment before Cyborg suggested,

"Maybe we should figure out how the terrorists got here and where they went – if they have computers, maybe they can tell us who's been supplying them."

"That's good thinking," Robin complimented Cyborg. "Viktor, can you get me a shot of the exterior from the time of the attack to the time the terrorists left?"

"Sure," Viktor answered. He worked with the computer, and soon afterward, a shot of the outside came to the main screen. The first minute was standard routine, but afterward, a strange looking aircraft came in and deposited a band of terrorists on the ground. Viktor froze the image as the ship lifted off. He frowned, inclined his head, and whispered, "Why does this look familiar...?"

"You recognize that ship?" Robin asked.

"It looks vaguely familiar," Viktor replied, "but I can't place where I've seen it be..." He paused midsentence, then spoke to his AI, "Clara, scan the vicinity for any residual signs of Draconian drop ships, immediately!"

"Draconians?" Blackfire repeated the name. "You haven't had any incidents with them since..."

"I know," Viktor said. "I don't know what they're doing here, but I intend to find out."

"Who are the Draconians?" Robin asked.

"A rigid alliance of alien races out of Universe 01-Gamma," Viktor answered. "Too much to explain now, but their presence here suggests they're up to no good... again."

"You mean, this has happened before?" Starfire queried.

"Like I said, too much to explain now," Viktor stated.

"I've got a lock on the drop ships!" Clara proclaimed. "They're currently at what looks to be an abandoned Cosmodrome in Baikonur."

"Baikonur?" Beast Boy repeated. "Isn't that where the Soviets had their long-range missile project during the Cold War?"

"No time to ponder it now," Robin said, "We have to get there and wipe those terrorists off the face of the Earth once and for all."

"That may be a little more difficult than you think, Robin," Viktor said. "That job is now twice as hard now that they have Draconian support."

"You imply you've fought them before," Robin surmised.

"That's affirmative," Viktor said. "Saved several worlds from their incursions and stopped multiple planetside attacks, both full-on assaults and infiltrations."

"So you may be able to help us face this threat, help us deal with it once and for all," Robin suggested.

"Possibly," Viktor said. "But listen to me when I say this, Robin: As with these terrorists, the Draconian presence here is but a symptom of the true threat. It is waiting for something – perhaps me, or us, to enter the fight. We must ascertain who we're dealing with if we are to come out of this in one piece."

"If you've any intuitions of who and what we're up against, please, tell us," Robin said.

"As Blackfire told you before," Viktor answered, "It is a threat I have faced before."

"The Draconians," Starfire surmised. "Were they responsible for your being exiled from the Earth you grew up on?"

Viktor looked to Starfire. "Who said anything about being exiled?" he asked her.

Starfire frowned. "Surely these Draconians would have killed you had you refused to-"

"Oh, they intended to kill me from the start," Viktor interrupted her, "But that is a tale for another time. For now, we must get to Baikonur."

"As curious as I am in regards to this," Robin admitted, "He's right; we need to focus."

"Whereabouts is Baikonur from here?" Cyborg asked.

"South," Clara answered, "Deep inside Kazakhstan."

"Kazakhstan, huh?" Robin stated. "Damn... gonna have to call the President for this."

"Why?" Viktor asked.

"Because none of our ops have ever taken us inside Kazakhstan; we have no clearance to go there," Robin explained. "We'll need to get in contact with the President. Does your ship have a subspace transmitter?"

Viktor frowned. "That's an obvious question," he said, "Of course it does; I can't imagine why it wouldn't."

"Right," Robin sighed. "Let's get back to your ship. Clara, can you beam us up?"

"That's what I was about to contact you in regards to," the AI answered. "A transporter inhibitor field just went up. I can't get you out of there until you get topside."

"Who's generating it?" Terra asked.

"I don't know—oh, crap! You have Draconian troops closing on your position now! They must have been waiting for us!" Clara exclaimed.

"I knew it!" Viktor growled angrily. "A trap!"

"Traps work both ways," Blackfire told her lover.

"Be that as it may, it disturbs me I didn't sense this," Viktor said. "But let's get the hell outta dodge before they actually manage to get to us."

Robin was about to tell Viktor that he did sense it, but found himself following the dragon-shifter out of the facility. However, the main route was sealed off; they had to take a detour. They were crossing a storage bay when they came under fire. Viktor was the first to return fire, and the others took cover.

"Titans, GO!" Robin shouted. Starfire and Blackfire took to the air, and began shooting laser bolts at the attacking aliens. Unfortunately, the Draconian troops' armor held some sort of energy shield that shielded them from their attacks. Blackfire noticed that a Draconian was readying a heat-seeking projectile locked onto Starfire.

"Starfire, watch out!" Blackfire shouted. She flew out to her sister and immediately jerked her away from the missile's path. The missile curved, struck the ceiling, and detonated. "Didn't I teach you better than that, sis?"

Starfire managed a coy smile. "Not really," she said. Starfire and Blackfire both sent a beam of energy to the missile-toting soldier and vaporized him.

"Neat," they both said at once, examining their hands. Blackfire glanced down and saw a contingent of enemy troops headed to Viktor – directly on his rear flank.

"Viktor!" Blackfire shouted, "On your six!"

Viktor immediately turned to face the enemy, and sent a telekinetic blast to them. They were all knocked off their feet, and Viktor was quick to throw a grenade into their midst. "Catch!" he shouted.

Raven, however, had her attention elsewhere, keeping a contingent of these aliens busy. It wasn't easy with the energy shields they had – she had only managed to take out four. Beast Boy helped in that area, morphing into a Tiger and tearing into them while Raven kept their weapons jammed. It wasn't until Starfire and Blackfire joined the fray that the odds were even. When Cyborg finally figured out how to fire the assault cannon he'd been carrying, he turned it on the Draconian troops, mowing them down in a hail of blue energy bolts.

The Draconian troops retreated, and the Titans regrouped, then resumed course for the exit. During the trip, Starfire noticed Viktor's face held a look of anger and rage. It was a look that she'd never seen, not even on Robin.

"Viktor, are you alright?" she asked him when they paused at an intersection. Viktor didn't answer, he just looked around slowly, as though searching for his next target. _"__Blackfire," _Starfire asked Blackfire in her native tongue, _"__What's wrong with Viktor?"_

_"__He looks this way when he fights," _Blackfire answered.

"Save the chit-chat for when we're out of this mess," Robin commanded. "Clara, which way?"

"Take the left hallway," Clara suggested. "That should take you to a service corridor that leads to the surface."

"Got it," Robin said. "Let's go."

The team took the left hallway, and emerged on the snowy surface in the midst of a storage yard. And standing before them was a black-robed warrior.

"Well, well, well," he chuckled. "Managed to evade our trap, did you?"

"Who are you?" Robin asked.

"He's a Black Warlock," Blackfire answered. "The dark magic-using warriors of the Draconian Military."

Viktor's eyes lit up with rage. He handed his rifle off to Starfire, and grabbed his blade hilts.

"What's he doing?" Starfire whispered.

"The one thing he does best," Blackfire responded.

Crimson blades of super-heated plasma leapt from the hilts with a _snap-hiss_, and the warrior said, "What, no threats?"

Viktor made no response as he began to advance on the warrior. The warrior telekinetically manipulated a nearby wing and threw it at him. Viktor, in response, swung his blade and hacked the wing in two. Robin's jaw dropped. The warrior threw a storage shelf at him next, and Viktor swung both blades in an upward X and hacked that in two as well.

"What are my eyes seeing?" Terra murmured.

"A little spirit, eh?" The warrior asked. "Let's see what you make of this!" He telekinetically lifted a plane engine off the ground and threw it at Viktor. What Viktor did awed everyone. He ran toward the engine, leapt inhumanly high, and blew through the engine in a light show of sparks and flames; Raven stopped the engine before it could hit the titans, and set it aside. Viktor bellowed a war cry as he descended to the warrior, bringing his blades down on him as he landed. One of the warrior's own blades were knocked out of his hands, and Viktor fought the warrior with speed, skill, and a rage Robin had never seen before. The final blow came when Viktor leapt over the warrior, landed behind him, then back-stabbed him, and whirled around with his other blade and sheared the warrior in half. When he stared at the Titans, his face glowering over his kill in an expression of rage and hate, his eyes glowed red with malevolent power.

"What is he?" Starfire whispered.

"He is the Dragon Prince, sister," Blackfire responded. "The warrior born of a dead world long-forgotten, and-"

_"__He's the alien warrior from the ancient times?!"_ Starfire exclaimed in surprise, using her native tongue.

_"__No,"_ Blackfire replied, _"__Not the original warrior; his descendant."_

_"__Then... the legends are true!"_ Starfire said in shock. _"__He really is the... the Dragon Prince! Exile of a dead world long-forgotten, carrier of the dragon's rage, bearer of the righteous blades of fire – it all fits!"_

"Something I need to know about?" Robin queried.

"Long story, not enough time," Blackfire responded. By that time, Viktor had already returned to the Titans, where he stood before Starfire. She stared into his glowing eyes, until she spoke,

"Are you... are you alright?"

"I'm... fine," Viktor answered. "May I have my rifle back?"

Starfire then realized she was still holding Viktor's rifle, and handed it back to him. "Thank you," he said. He activated his radio, and commanded, "Clara – beam us up."

The transporter beams energized, and plucked the titans off the snowy ground...


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Having contacted the president regarding their present situation, the Titans waited for the president to work things out with the government in Kazakhstan, at which point, the President would contact them again. While they waited, they explored Viktor's ship. Viktor, however, isolated himself from the others, remaining on the bridge. Given what they'd seen Viktor do, especially in that encounter with the Draconian Black Warlock, Robin didn't blame him. Still, Robin maintained an active intra-ship comm channel in case either of them should need to contact each other. It was as the Titans were relaxing in the lounge that Robin heard something.

"Everyone, quiet down – listen," he requested. Cyborg and Beast Boy paused the game they were playing, and silence settled over the lounge; the only sound to disturb that silence was Robin's comm unit. It made a strange breathing sound, like a dragon sleeping in his lair.

"Viktor fell asleep," Starfire observed.

"Can't say I blame him," Robin said. "Especially after that fight with that... whatever that black-robed dude was."

Viktor snorted, mumbling something in Russian in his sleep, which made Blackfire frown in concern. "No, no, no, something's not right," she murmured.

"Why?" Raven queried, "What did he say?"

The color drained from Blackfire's face as she translated what Viktor had said; "... Volcano..." She immediately got up and rushed for the door as she exclaimed, "We have to get to the bridge!"

"Why?" Cyborg asked as he ran with her, "What's so bad about him dreaming of a Volcano?"

Blackfire suddenly whirled around to face Cyborg and nearly yelled, "Not just any volcano – Yellowstone!"

"Yellowstone?" Robin repeated.

"Yes, the Super-volcano beneath Yellowstone National Park!" Blackfire responded. "December 21, 2012 – that's the day-"

Viktor suddenly awoke with a scream, and Blackfire dashed for the bridge. When she and the rest of the Titans got there, they saw Viktor, standing before the viewscreen. Blackfire slowly approached him and asked in a soft tone, "Viktor, are you alright?" Viktor didn't respond. He just stood there, hands behind his back, feet spread at what looked to be parade rest, breathing heavily. Blackfire came up behind him, gently sliding her arms around his waist and holding him close. She planted a tender kiss on his neck and asked, "You saw it again, didn't you?"

"Like I was there," Viktor answered, "As though history was repeating itself... December 21, 2012."

"What happened that day?" Robin asked, which earned him a sharp elbow in the side from Starfire. Blackfire sighed, asking in Tamoranean,

_"__Should we tell them?"_

_"__Blackfire, Starfire and her husband are your family – they're going to find out one way or another, regardless of what we do to keep it a secret,"_ Viktor answered.

"Hold on," Starfire said, "Since when did you speak Tamoranean?"

"Your sister taught me," Viktor answered. "Taught me in case I ever ran into you or any other Tamoranean."

Robin shrugged. "Fair enough," he stated. He paused, but before he could repeat his earlier question, Starfire voiced it.

"What happened on December 21, 2012?"

Viktor sighed, then began, "It is a day I've never been able to forget... The day my home world died."

"Died?" Starfire asked, "Died how?"

"The super-volcano beneath Yellowstone," Blackfire replied. "It erupted, laid waste to everything."

"And it was neither an accident nor a work of nature," Viktor added.

"Meaning somebody set it off," Terra surmised.

Viktor's breath trembled, and Blackfire reached up to wipe tears from Viktor's face. "Yes," he affirmed. "Many years ago, he came for me... destroyed my home world, murdered everything and everyone I knew... destroyed my life and left me to die on Earth as the world fell into the coldest nuclear winter ever."

"But you're still alive," Raven commented. "You must have gotten off-world – how?"

"A Dragon'taan Merchant ship picked up the explosion when Yellowstone erupted, and contacted the Dragon'taan Marauder Corps. They sent a rescue fleet to search for survivors," Viktor explained, "And all they found was me, half-buried in ash and nearly dead from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Were it not for them, I would have died there."

"So that's why you left," Robin guessed. "You had no choice. If you stayed, you would have suffocated to death."

"Exactly as he said," Blackfire affirmed. "He'd have died if he stayed."

"Why?" Starfire asked, now approaching Viktor, "Why did 'he' destroy your home world?"

"It's because of a blood feud between Dragon-Shifters and the Draconians," Viktor answered, "One that's more than fifty years old. My father served as a captain in a dragon-shifter-led rebellion against the forces of the Draconian Combine. They now hate all dragon shifters for the sins of so few; they no longer care that the Dragon-Shifters that led that rebellion are all dead, they want _all_ dragon-shifters dead. My father hid out on earth, but vanished around the time of my birth."

"Viktor," Robin said, "You said that someone came for you when earth died – who? Who came for you?"

"General Killran," Viktor growled with a sudden anger. "A psychic madman in the Draconian military."

"And you suspect he's here?" Robin asked.

"I don't suspect," Viktor replied. "I _know_ he's here. Fortunately for us, he doesn't know _I'm_ here." He wiped away tears, looked directly into Starfire's eyes, and said, "But that won't last long; when he discovers I'm here, when he learns you all have been sheltering me... he'll do to your world... what he did to mine. That's why I'd been wandering the galaxy; as long as I kept moving, he couldn't find me – I was invisible to his consciousness."

"And you came to us because you foresaw we would be the ones to bring to justice the man that destroyed your home world," Starfire surmised.

"But what's his interest in you?" Robin asked. "A personal vendetta," Viktor admitted. "When I got my ship, I didn't immediately start wandering the galaxy."

"What do you mean?" Cyborg inquired, "What did you do?"

Viktor didn't answer directly, just spoke in Russian, and Blackfire translated, _"__... And when the dragon prince saw the ashes of what had once been his domain, he let loose a fury that shook the stars; the many worlds of his enemy burned and died, the people that set fire to his home becoming a mere shadow of the power they once held; from the death of one world, came the deaths of many."_

"When I got my ship, I set out to avenge the death of Earth – to make Killran feel my pain. I destroyed several of the worlds under his control, and reduced his standing in the hierarchy of the Draconian Combine considerably; he's been hunting me ever since," Viktor explained.

"So that's it, then," Robin said. "We're already too deep into this to back out now."

"We have to stop General Killran," Raven agreed. "But first, we have to _find_ him."

"And the terrorists at Baikonur will likely have information that will point us in the right direction," Viktor suggested.

There was a long pause before Robin asked, "Viktor... why didn't you tell us this before?"

"For one thing," Blackfire answered, "You never asked, and secondly-"

"-Secondly, I didn't want you to judge me by what I had done in the past," Viktor finished. "That was my primary concern."

"Truthfully, I don't know if I'd have done any different were I in your position," Robin admitted.

"But you're a hero," Viktor said. "You know better than to give in to revenge."

"True," Robin said.

"Viktor," Starfire assured the dragon-shifter, "We don't blame you for doing what you did."

"Even though you may now be hunted for sheltering me after what I had done?" Viktor asked.

"Yes, even though your enemies are now ours," Starfire responded. "The titans have been together a long time – we've all done some things we're not proud of. Do you think we'd still be together if we couldn't let go of the past?"

Viktor chuckled softly, then responded, "Perhaps not – but none of you have ever destroyed entire worlds, have you?"

"It's in the past, Viktor," Starfire said. "Let it go."

"Even if I do," Viktor stated, "Killran won't."

"Then we'll deal with him – together," Robin assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Sounds good to me," Cyborg said.

"Count me in," Terra added.

"Me too," Beast Boy chimed in.

"We're all in this, then," Raven commented.

Viktor closed his eyes, letting the final tears fall. "So be it," he whispered.

The subspace transmitter rang, and the Titans readied themselves for the next part of the op...


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"... What time?" Robin asked.

"They've got to clear the airspace for your arrival," the President answered, "So, I'd say... roughly 1430 hours tomorrow, so get some rest."

"Will do, mister President," Robin said.

"Just... one more thing," The president asked, "You're certain these terrorists have the support of this 'Draconian Combine'?"

"I have the evidence in the main computer," Clara answered.

"What can we expect from them?" The President inquired.

"Honestly, sir," Viktor answered, "It's too early to tell. I don't know how they'll react if and when we take down General Killran."

"Well, I imagine they won't be happy to have one of their generals killed," the President commented. "But will they retaliate?"

"I'd have to get more information on him before I could give you a definite answer," Viktor answered, "But I _can_ get some friends of mine in another 'verse over here to defend orbit in case there _is_ a retaliation. They owe me a few favors, anyway."

"Very well," the President said officiously. "The Russian government has permitted to to land your ship near Moscow – that should shorten your trip to Baikonur considerably. Good luck, Titans."

The screen snapped to black, and Viktor let loose a relieved sigh. "I hate dealing with politicians," he grumbled.

"Why?" Raven asked.

"Just about every politician I have met was either corrupt or just plain racist against dragon-shifters," Viktor said. "President seems okay, but... meh, I just don't trust politicians."

"Well, Chancellor Martok wasn't that bad, was he?" Blackfire asked.

"No," Viktor sighed, "And now that I think about it, neither was Praetor Tal'Aura."

"Who are Chancellor Martok and Praetor Tal'Aura?" Robin inquired.

"Chancellor Martok is the current Chancellor of the Klingon High Council, whereas Praetor Tal'Aura is the current Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire," Viktor explained. He then directed a comment to his AI, "Clara, set a course for Moscow – take it nice and slow, no rush."

"I'm already en route, sir," Clara answered. "ETA, fifteen minutes."

"Good," Viktor said, "And get a line to our friends in 'verse 04-Bravo – Reach _and_ Sangheilios, have them get over here. Hell, bring the DMC in it, for all I care."

"Already done," the AI chuckled. "And, hope you don't mind, I contacted the Dragonarians, for old time's sake – remember that one Dragonarian woman you saved? The one married to a human?"

"Ah, yes," Viktor sighed. "Her father was especially grateful."

"He's going to be arriving in orbit in the next ten hours," Clara said.

"Sounds like you have all the bases covered," Robin commented.

"Yeah, over the years, Viktor and I have made a lot of friends," Blackfire said. "A lot of them high-up in Government or Military."

"Like Martok and Tal'Aura?" Terra asked.

Viktor chuckled. "Martok, I met when I saved his ship from a Borg attack; Tal'Aura, I met after I helped the Romulans beat off a Cardassian incursion of their home world."

"In any case, we're prepared for a Draconian retaliation of our taking down General Killran," Robin stated. With a chuckle, he added, "I wish I'd met you sooner."

"So, what are we going to do for the next fifteen minutes?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'm thinking we need to grab extra equipment from Viktor's armory," Robin responded. "Since those terrorists have Draconian support, we're going to need all the extra firepower we can get."

"I was going to suggest that, too," Viktor agreed. "Though, Cyborg handled the Assault Cannon I gave him fairly well."

"In case it escaped your notice," Cyborg commented, "It took me a minute to figure out how the thing works. I need to practice with it."

"Well, if it's practice you want, I've got a holodeck near the pool," Viktor suggested. "And, believe it or not, I have a holodeck simulation that is set in the same Baikonur Cosmodrome we're headed for."

"So we can prep for the mission in Baikonur," Robin surmised with a smile. "How accurate is the layout of the simulation to the real thing?"

"I've already fine-tuned it to be the exact replica of the real thing," Clara responded. "Had to use US Military Satellites and a couple of drones to get a good picture – hope they didn't mind."

"That's good thinking," Robin told Viktor. "Could you recommend what weapons we should use against the Draconians?"

"Well, given that they have energy shields that protect you from their attacks," Viktor said, "I'd recommend you all use Kadgeron-based weaponry – Hybrid Rifles, Disruptors, things of that nature."

"What about my Assault Cannon?" Cyborg asked, "Is it Kadgeron-based?"

"Yes," Viktor affirmed, "Converted it that way when I got it."

"Awesome!" Cyborg whispered.

"What about me?" Starfire asked. "What weapon would you recommend I use?"

"Would you like my professional opinion?" Viktor countered.

"Certainly," Starfire answered.

"Well, as a Tamoranean, you – like your sister was – are unfamiliar with virtually all forms of firearms; so, I would recommend you use one of my RX Kalashnikov weapons. They're easy to use, and mine are self-maintaining."

"RX Kalashnikov?" Starfire repeated.

"Yeah, the AK50 series, primarily," Viktor said. "Your sister uses the same AK50M8 that I gave her after that encounter with the Cardassian Pirate."

"Trust me, Star – the AK50 series is simple and reliable," Blackfire assured her sister.

"Which one should I use?" Blackfire asked. Viktor didn't answer, he just tossed her the rifle he'd been using. She caught it, then asked, "Your rifle? Why?"

"The RX Kalashnikov AK50M7 is one of the most reliable rifles in the RX Kalashnikov series," Viktor explained. "That one comes with a folding stock, integrated disruptor, dual mags and a holographic sight. Your sister can show you the ropes with that gun."

"But if Starfire has your rifle," Raven asked, "What will you use?"

Viktor just chuckled. "Clara," he inquired, "Is the H3M1 good to go?"

"Affirmative, sir," Clara answered. "RX Hybrid H3M1 is ready for deployment."

"You were designing a new rifle?" Robin queried.

"Before I came here, yes," Viktor affirmed, heading for the armory. "A seven-sixty-two-caliber assault rifle with an integrated disruptor and a few other attachments."

Robin and the other titans followed Viktor to his armory, where an assault rifle was laid out on a workbench table. Viktor picked it up, loading the magazine into the receiver and loading the disruptor's power cell into the emitter.

"Does that thing fire special ammo?" Robin asked.

"Yep," Viktor affirmed, "7.62x51mm Depleted-Uranium, Armor-Piercing, Kadgeron-infused rounds to be specific."

"So that thing will puncture just about any kind of personal armor," Cyborg observed.

"What did you mean when you said the rounds were 'Kadgeron-infused'?" Robin asked.

"It means that the bullets themselves are infused with Kadgeron radiation," Viktor replied. "Kadgeron Radiation, when applied to any firearm projectile, disrupts energy shields around it to allow the projectile to impact beneath the energy shield. Energy projectiles infused with Kadgeron Radiation have been recorded to disintegrate solid matter. All my weapons were made or modified to fire Kadgeron-infused projectiles."

"You certainly know your weaponry," Robin chuckled. He glanced left, and grabbed a rifle off a rack. "What's this thing?"

"That's an older design of mine – old, but still highly-effective," Viktor said. "That, _tovarishch_, is an MP340A1; fires .223-caliber hardened armor-piercing rounds and comes standard with a non-detachable ACOG."

"ACOG?" Starfire asked, "Is that an acronym?"

"Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight," Viktor and Blackfire said simultaneously.

"Guess that answers that," Terra commented. She indicated the rifle she'd used earlier during the ambush and asked, "What about this?"

"That, Terra, is a Dragonarian Model 76 Kadgeron Disruptor Rifle," Viktor said. "Be careful with that; one wrong move, and you could disintegrate yourself."

"I don't suppose you have any more... _subtle_ weapons, do you?" Raven asked.

"Affirmative," Viktor answered. "The RX Phantom line of weapons come with integrated sound suppressors, making them ideal stealth weapons – that and the RX Hybrid H6M2. Take your pick." Viktor indicated one of the racks of weapons.

"No offense, Viktor," Beast Boy commented, "But a lot of your weapons are too large for me to hold."

"That's why I was thinking on giving you an assault carbine – much smaller and easier to hold," Viktor replied. He picked up and tossed Beast Boy a smaller weapon, one that looked like some of the RX Kalashnikov weapons that Viktor had in is armory, but much smaller with a folding stock, foregrip and red dot sight. Beast Boy examined the carbine, then slung it.

"It'll do," he remarked.

"We're approaching Moscow," Clara announced over the intercom. Everyone headed for the bridge, weapons in hand, and arrived as the _Vigilance_ touched down just outside of the Russian capital. Robin looked to Viktor.

"Viktor – you sense anything?" he asked. Viktor paused for a moment, closing his eyes as he reached out with his perceptions, then opened his eyes again.

"Not as of yet," he answered. "If we intend to go into Moscow, I'd still recommend traveling into Moscow armed. We evaded the trap set for us at the supply depot; the enemy may try again here in Moscow." He looked to Robin and added, "No guarantees, of course – they may try again, they may not, but it can't hurt to go prepared."

"Agreed," Robin stated. "We'll all take a few extra mags in case we end up in a running gunfight."

"Now we're talking," Viktor agreed.

"Viktor, Blackfire, since you two know Russian, you'll be coming with us," Robin said. "We'll need someone to translate."

"Right on," Blackfire replied. "Always wanted to see the Kremlin."

The titans all headed back to the armory, loading up on extra ammunition before heading to the boarding ramp. Once it lowered, Viktor, Blackfire, Robin, and the others descended it, headed into Moscow...


End file.
